Home/The Reason I Was Reincarnated as a Witch in a Novel/ch 7

Chapter 007

Lionel didn't like the way the familiar spoke of his witch as if he owned her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Nero, watching Lionel play dumb, sensed that this wouldn't be resolved easily.

But for his contractor's safety, he needed to find out how a mage of this caliber had known the witch's location and come seeking her. His naive contractor had no sense of danger, so he had to step in and look after her himself.

"You clearly came here knowing a witch was present. Isn't that right?"

Lionel's eyes went wide.

"You speak in riddles."

"And you were certain she would heal you."

"It just so happened that I collapsed in front of the Lady Witch's shop."

At the resolute answer, Nero's mouth set in a firm line. He stared at Lionel as if weighing something, then finally spoke.

"If you're going to be this uncooperative, I have no choice."

Even after being attacked, the mage—strong enough to strike his manifested body—still only defended himself. How would this brat react to these words?

Nero continued in a casual tone.

"I'll have to move my contractor to a safe place."

The moment he finished speaking, mana erupted from Lionel's body and spread in all directions. The violet magic roughly pushed back the shadows that had seized control of the space.

Nero's well-shaped lips curled slightly at the unruly mana, which rampaged like a colt breaking free of its reins. The violet power, which had been evenly matched against the shadows, formed chains and surged toward Nero.

Nero knocked aside the flying chains with his wings and spoke coolly.

"If you don't want things to go that far, speak."

At that moment, two massive lances materialized above Nero's head. They hovered in the air, vicious and ready to pierce through his body at any moment.

"How did you learn about Lindsay?"

The two lances descended. They sliced through a few strands of black hair before stopping.

The violet lances vanished, and the mana surrounding them returned to its master. Then came Lionel's voice, sounding as if he had given up.

"...A few days ago, I helped an old woman who was being harassed by thugs."

Lionel's help had been a complete coincidence.

He had endured the daily onslaught of pain while searching for a cure for his mana corruption. But time slipped away, and no remedy appeared. As the days passed, his patience wore thin, and reaching his limit, he needed someone to take his anger out on. And then, he happened to notice thugs bullying an old merchant woman in the street.

"The old woman asked me what my wish was, and I answered without much thought. That I wanted to escape this cursed pain."

Nero's golden eyes gleamed with a strange light. Though she wasn't a dragon, a capricious witch came to mind—one who changed her form, played her games, and granted people's wishes.

"The old woman told me to find a witch running a magic potion shop in the capital."

She said she would save me.

Lionel had been saved, just as the old woman said. While searching the Magic Tower-accredited shops, he had lost consciousness and collapsed—and by luck, the house he fell in front of happened to be the shop run by the witch.

He hadn't expected the witch to be doing business in the capital without the Tower's certification, but in any case, he had found her.

Recalling the sensation he felt when he opened his eyes, Lionel wore an ecstatic expression. Instead of the corrupted mana and the wearying pain, a pleasure he had never experienced before had taken over his body.

"Do you remember the old woman's eye color?"

Lionel quickly schooled his expression.

"...Silver. A silver that shone like the moon."

With the gathered clues, Nero was certain of the identity of the one who had so recklessly divulged Lindsay's whereabouts.

A witch who, unlike Lindsay, had resonated with the brightest, roundest full moon. Revered by other witches for her blessed, immense power and her remarkable prophetic abilities—a witch among witches.

The Full Moon Witch, Selene, had guided Lionel to Lindsay.

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Lindsay placed three plates of steaming bulgogi rice bowls and three cups brimming with ram's milk onto a tray. She even included spoons and chopsticks to match the number of people.

Not knowing Lionel's food preferences, she had chosen bulgogi rice bowls—her and Nero's favorite—for lunch.

Levitating the tray with magic to prevent any spills, she slowly descended the stairs.

The moment she stood before the workshop door, it swung open before she could even grasp the handle. Lionel, stepping out, took hold of the floating tray and welcomed her.

"Come in. I missed you so much while you were away."

"Did you get a lot of work done?"

How much?

Seeing through the gap in the door that Lionel had prepped four whole baskets, Lindsay smiled with satisfaction.

Good boy. You've earned your rice bowl.

Lindsay nudged aside the cat lounging indolently on the cat tower and transferred one plate and one cup from the tray Lionel was holding to in front of the cat.

When she handed over a spoon and chopsticks, black hands rose from the shadows, naturally received the utensils, and began feeding the cat.

Nero paused his chewing and opened his mouth.

[For dinner, I'd like meat, meow.]

"This is meat. Can't you see? The plate is piled high with it."

For Nero, who didn't eat vegetables, she had purposely left out the onions and given him only meat. But the cat seemed to complain as if there were no meat at all, so Lindsay pointed at Nero's plate with her finger.

The cat irritably swiped the cat tower with its tail. Watching the sly cat's antics, Lindsay's eyes narrowed into triangles.

[I want a steak smoked over a wood fire, meow.]

"Smoked? Who on earth would smoke meat by inhaling all that smoke?"

Lindsay tilted her head, looking up at the cat eating its bulgogi rice bowl.

In a world without a smoker grill, who would build a wood fire, make smoke, and roast meat over it? I really have no idea.

[How am I, a cat, supposed to smoke meat, meow? You have hands and feet—shouldn't you do it, meow?]

The cat stretched its paw out in front of Lindsay's eyes. Hidden claws emerged, and black jelly pads were revealed.

A scene that would make any cat lover clutch their heart caused Lindsay's blood pressure to rise in real time.

"Just use your shadows! You're already using them to scoop up food—why can't you grill meat?!"

[Not respecting the shadows—how cold-hearted, meow.]

"Ugh—!"

"Lindsay, calm down."

As Lindsay, who had been arguing with the cat, finally grabbed it by the scruff and toppled over, Lionel firmly caught her from behind.

He sat her down on the chair in front of the desk, looking as if she might faint at any moment, and brought his hands to the back of her neck. He gently massaged her nape. The cat, watching this, let out a small snort.

Finally calming down, Lindsay steadied her breathing—then flinched. I was talking to a cat, shadows were popping out to feed it, and he just calmly supports me and gives me a massage?

Is he just naturally accepting it as 'a witch's cat must be special'? Is that it?

Lindsay rose from the chair and pointed at the tray with her index finger. Her fingertip trembled slightly—her blood pressure hadn't fully settled yet.

"There's yours too, so eat."

"I've never seen this food before. Did you make it, Lindsay?"

When Lindsay nodded, Lionel removed the plate and cup from the tray and set them on the desk. Then he gently pried open Lindsay's tensed hand and took out his own spoon and chopsticks.

Without being flustered by the unfamiliar utensils, he watched how the black hands used the chopsticks and mimicked them perfectly.

Just then, Lindsay's light laugh reached his ears.

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